By Hailey MacDonald, Executive Board
Each year, members of the Senior Council work diligently to put together Senior Week — one last week of events, activities, and fun for graduating seniors before they transition into alumni. This year’s Senior Week will be running between May 14-20, starting the day after finals and lasting through the day before graduation.
This year’s Senior Week Committee, made up of ten members of the senior class and some additional assistance from the Senior Council, has been creating their vision of Senior Week since last spring. Now, as we head into our last semester as college students, the planning process is coming to an end as the first deposit for ticket sales opens.
This year’s Senior Week festivities include a variety of different events. There are a few off-campus trips: Six Flags New England, Foxwoods Casino, and Westfield River Brewing. For each of these trips, meals and transportation are included in the ticket price as well as entry fees into the amusement park.
The Westfield River Brewing trip is definitely going to be a much-anticipated favorite. The entire facility is being reserved for our group, and each student will receive two complimentary drink tickets included in the ticket price as well as a voucher for the North Elm Butcher Block’s food truck. There will also be an open bar to purchase beverages in addition to the drink tickets.
The on-campus events are a mix of some traditional programs and some new ideas created just for Senior Week. The first on-campus event will be multifaceted with tie-dyeing t-shirts, a paint and sip activity, and the creation of a time capsule. The t-shirts made at this program will be worn a few days later at the BEAR Olympics Rematch program, where seniors will represent their first-year residence halls in a bracket-style tournament that mirrors the freshman year BEAR Olympics event. There will also be Loophole Brewing IPAs provided at this event and a giant inflatable obstacle course.
One of the last two on-campus Senior Week programs is a drive-in movie, where Grown Ups will be shown along with pizza, popcorn, and other traditional movie snacks. Lastly, the Senior Brunch with the Alumni Association will be on the Friday before graduation. This event is a longstanding tradition to honor the senior’s transition into the alumni network of Western New England University.
For the on-campus Senior Week events, there will be catered meals from some local favorite restaurants including Hot Table, Frontera Grill, and more.
On December 10, members of the senior class can put down a $100 non-refundable deposit to hold their place for Senior Week. There will be two more rounds of payments in the spring, and the total cost of tickets are $275. The payment process will be through University Tickets, so please check University Posts and Social Media for that information beginning on December 10. There are 200 spots open for members of the senior class to join in on the fun, so be sure to put your deposit down as soon as you can!
If finances are holding you back from partaking in Senior Week festivities, please reach out to Melissa Lambert, the Director of Student Involvement and Leadership. There are options in place to set up payment plans for tickets and some over avenues as well. If you have any general Senior Week questions, feel free to reach out to Senior Week Leads Hailey MacDonald ([email protected]) and Sofia Plaku ([email protected]). Be sure to also follow our Instagram page for Senior Week updates and more information on Senior Week: wne.council22.
